It's weird, man. All sorts a bizarre ironies come to a fellas skull when pondering the legacy of Richey James Edwards. For one damn thing, it's amazing that when a fella looks back, or even reaches down for to press play on Generation Terrorists or The Holy Bible, what run around the old subconscious are morbid whispers of death, isolation, misery. "Culture, alienation, boredom and despair", as some fucker or other once put it.
It's hard to picture a time when nobody thought anything of the like regarding this ever-so-handsome, mascara drenched, leopard-print, philosophy-spouting creature. Back in the day, man, what folks saw was the coolest, most arrogant, most illogically exciting motherfucker anyone ever laid eyes on, a guitarist standing on the side of a stage battering away at his instrument when everyone knew it wasn't even plugged in.
He couldn't play a note, is what.
Back when the New Art Riot and the Generation Terrorists were making their way in the popular culture, what a fella was exposed to was a riot of color and glamour and stencilled-slogans spray-painted across t-shirts. They stole ruthlessly from The Clash in so far as the old "look" was concerned, and they stole ruthlessly from LA rock in so far as the old "sound" was concerned, but The Manic Street Preachers at least knew which houses to burgle, is what.
Had they been shit, maybe it would've all fizzled away and Richey James Edwards would still be on stage with James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire and Sean Moore, maybe he'd even have learned to play by now, although he often waxed hilarious with regards how "fucking sad" learning to play guitar was.
Maybe they'd have split up, even. Who knows?
Ain't anybody ever going to know, is what, because, alas, the Manic's went ahead and revealed themselves to be ever so fucking wonderful, and so adulation, hatred, screaming admirers and The Cult Of Richey were all just around the corner.
At least, on this side of the stereo that's how things would pan out. On the other side, what was gonna happen was that Richey James Edwards would alternately endure and relish bouts of self-mutilation, alcoholism, severe depression, anorexia and any number of related horrors. There would be the infamous back-stage argument with Radio 1 DJ and NME writer Steve Lamaq, when the journalist would question the intentions of the Manic Street Preachers, and Edwards would respond by producing a razor blade and slicing 4 REAL into his forearm.
Article comments
1 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
hells bells. thats the third time i've used the word "fetishised" in almost as many articles. That Word Of The Day toilet-paper sure works better when a fella's got the runs...
2 - godoggo
re: fetishise: Your'e in America now, if I'm not mistaken. Allow me to introduce you to the letter Z.
That said, what in heaven'z name is LA Rock?
3 - wally bangs
Brilliant stuff, Duke. I bet you "laughed when Lennon got shot" too.
4 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
godoggo, i'm still residing in the UK, but it's a valid point. I keep forgetting to include the "z", which is odd, since is not only is it Costa Gravas' best flick, but it's a much cooler letter than s. I keep wondering why the MT desktop client has red lines under things i know are spelt correctly, and that's always the cause.
Wally, thanks man. And i didn't, probably, but i still roar along like as if i was there man. "Motown... Motown Junk!!"
5 - valeria
Here come the crazy urges to listen to the Holy Bible again, for maybe the millionth time in my life. It might be your incessant quotes that just beg a singalong, it might be that this article was just absolutely perfect.
6 - Duke De Mondo
Valeria, thank you! What a compliment it is, to have someone urged towards a re-listening of The Holy Bible on account of my scribbling.
and this reminds me, i really must pick up that grand new Everything Must Go set sometime soon...
7 - Drunks off my bollocks
Brilliant article. Expresses the importance, spirit and meaning of THB well. Doesn't slag off Lifeblood, which is also a bonus... 5 years old? The joy of teh_intarwebz and it's collectivist Elephantine memory. Well done, squire. Well done.
8 - Remedial_gash
Just picked up 'Journal for plague lovers' - a year late I know, and was revisiting earlier albums, in the age of 'random play', I don't think I've listened to an album since around 2005 (when this piece was written).
Anyway, what a fucking excellent piece of work, and please don't use 'z's - it's offensive to my eyes.
Gash
9 - Pris
Great article!
Hope I'm not intruding, here's my $.02 on Richey.